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CHAPTER 31

D ROPS OF RAIN SOAKED into my tunic and pants—the last bit of Zichri I kept. From here on out, I was a spy for Giddel, at least that’s what I told myself. A glob of water plopped on my nose. If the heavens down-poured, the wagon might get stuck. We needed to hurry.

The wagon wheels thumped and bumped, hitting more dips along this back road than the entire trek to Valle de los Fantasmas. This path followed the curve of the valley’s mountains and bordered Himzo territory. Is this a mistake? If I was right about my hunch, then I’d be a hero. If I was wrong, I didn’t want to consider the consequences.

“Miss, I see a meadow up ahead.” Laude clutched the leather reins with a white-knuckled grip.

A cool breeze swooped into our faces, hinting at an incoming storm. It blew a rush of doubt straight into my heart. I reminded myself, If I succeed, then I can go home with my head held high .

“Pull over the wagon,” I said with all the confidence I could muster. “Let’s get our cloaks and walk the rest of the way.”

“But, miss! I still don’t know what we’re doing. Are we going back for Zichri and Jaime? Don’t tell me! We will steal the men and take them home.” She squealed with delight. “Do we need the daggers, or are you going to use your gift?”

I wrinkled my nose, ignoring her exuberance. Did she not pay attention the whole time we were with the Himzos? One look at her, and I supposed the silly grin on her face meant no. “Bring your dagger, and”—my throat tightened—“there is no gift.”

“No gift? What do you mean? We went to the valley. You saw the whyzer. I’m confused. You have all those markings—and large ones. You have to have a gift.”

I dipped my head. I couldn’t meet her gaze. “The whyzer refused me.”

“Ai-yi-yi! I’m so—”

“Don’t. I don’t need your pity.” I wrung the stiff fabric on my shirt. If something went wrong, Laude and I might never see another day again. Everything in my body quivered. Zichri will protect me if all goes amiss.After all, he said he was my loyal guard .

Laude stopped the wagon at the edge of the meadow near the tree line. I strained to hear beyond my heartbeat thumping in my ears. Beyond the clapping leaves, the tip-tapping rain, and the tree line across from us, I could just make out deep voices on the other side of the meadow.

“Please tell me what we’re doing,” Laude pleaded in a low, urgent tone. “How will we find them? We can’t walk up to each person we see and ask them where Jaime and Zichri stay. Oh, and if anyone finds out you’re the Princess of Giddel, we’re dead or worse.” Laude tilted her head back and slapped her face. “Ai-yi-yi!”

“Calm down.” I climbed to the back of the wagon and opened a trunk. How Laude switched between pure joy and terror astounded me. Digging through the material, I pulled out two black cloaks. “We’re already dressed like men. We need to walk like we belong at the camp. The sun has just set. Let’s use that to our advantage.”

With a shaky hand, Laude took hold of the rough cloak and slipped it over her clothes. I adjusted my dagger and wrapped the cloak over my body. A cooler current rustled the loose hairs that had escaped my braid, and dark clouds swirled in the sky. My body shook like one of the leaves rustling around us. A steady sprinkle of rain continued to flow from the heavens.

Laude untethered the horses while I took one last bite of a prickly fruit from Gonzalo’s pile of food. I’d need energy. The tangy fruit slid down my throat and burned in my stomach, most likely because of my nerves. I hopped off the wagon and tossed the fruit into the woods.

“Laude, you are strong and fierce and completely calm,” Laude said to herself, then solemnly nodded.

“Are you ready?”

“If I die and you live, tell your mother that I love her.”

“Of course. But we’re not going to die.” I patted her shoulder. “Let’s go.”

We trudged through the field with long yellowed grass up to our waists. The moment we reached the thin tree line on the other end, gruff voices carried from tents standing only a stone’s throw away. I hid behind the tree trunk, and Laude did the same. My heart drummed louder and harder with each passing second. We could turn back. There was still time.

Someone trod down the lane, huffing. “The Prince is back.”

I peeked around the trunk. Shadows cast by lamplight revealed the silhouette of several men standing in a tent. Their voices overlapped, each one with an accent far thicker than anyone in Zichri’s group had. A man shouted above the rest of the voices, “What news did he bring?”

“I don’t know. I ran straight away when I heard he was back.”

Grunts followed. A slight figure popped out of the tent and strode between the row of tents. We needed to follow him. I snapped my fingers at Laude for her to come alongside me and marched into the camp. Her boots splashed a few steps behind me, but I didn’t check. I tried to imitate my brother’s wide gait but gave up when a heavier flow of rain dropped from the heavens. Mud stuck to my boots. More soldiers approached, so I pulled my hood over my eyes. The men ducked into a tent before reaching us. By the time I looked forward, I couldn’t find the scrawny man. How could I have lost him?

Hairs rose on the back of my neck. A haze of rain made it impossible to see the size of the encampment, so we wouldn’t have that information to share when we got back. We moved ahead, unsure of where to go when a melancholy song wove through the tents. I recognized it. One look at Laude, and she mouthed the name: Gonzalo .

Will he be for us or against us ? There was only one way to discover the answer. I waved for Laude to follow. Water cascaded off the front of her hood while the cloak clung to her slight figure. It’s a miracle no one stopped us to ask what two ladies were doing in the encampment.

I turned toward a large tent at the end of the row, suitable for housing an entire garden party. Gonzalo’s deep voice grew stronger during a long, passionate note, drawing us near. Lightning slashed the blackened sky. Keeping low, I pulled back the flap to the tent and gagged at the stench of the muck. But I tiptoed deeper to peek around the corner of a horse stall.

Gonzalo tended a steed, his back facing us. “When do we move?”

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Jaime responded. “Blas won’t be coming. He still hurts from whatever he ate. He should have known better.”

“Don’t blame the poor lump. He still believes his failed year with your tutor went well.” Gonzalo chuckled.

Laude stepped on my toes, and I did everything to bite back a screech of pain.

Jaime spoke again, “He needs to control his impulses before he gets us killed.”

Laude clapped a hand over her mouth, her cheeks bubbling. I mouthed for her to keep still. Despite my reminder, she peeked around the first stall and turned back toward me, so overjoyed I thought she might rush into Jaime’s arms. I clamped my fingers on her arm.

“That’s something interesting, coming from a man who makes a fool of himself for a servant girl .” The contempt in Gonzalo’s voice hit Laude like a slap across the face.

Jaime sighed. “I’d take the march back from Giddel over again if I could.”

Laude’s eyes shot open wide. Thank the Ancient One we were hidden by a tent wall and for Jaime’s sincere heart. In her excitement, she danced on her toes.

“Did you hear that?” Gonzalo said.

A rustling of hay kicked up my already clamoring heartbeat. I pulled Laude out of the tent, dragging her around the corner. The heavens unloaded a torrent, soaking down to my underclothes. I glared at Laude, who bobbed her head, making it difficult to see if she was upset or beaming. Lightning cracked through the sky, and then came a rumble. I tried to listen for Gonzalo or Jaime, but all I made out were muffled sounds.

A man raced around the corner, and we turned away to hide our faces. Judging by his form and the way he walked, it was Jaime. I guessed he didn’t notice us. With a slight jerk of my head, Laude and I bounded in pursuit. We followed a short distance behind him so we wouldn’t lose him like we had the other soldier. Other men moved to and fro, but thankfully all of them seemed focused on their destinations.

Jaime halted. He whipped toward us and pulled out a dagger. I jolted back, and so did Laude. The point of the dagger hovered so near my nose I dared not breathe. Raindrops splattered on the blade, rushing down to the hilt.

After a second, recognition flashed across his face. “What are you doing here?” He slipped the dagger under his cloak and leaned in. “You should be halfway to Giddel by now.” Like a mother hen, he lifted the corners of his cloak over our shoulders and ushered us away.

I’m not sure what he hoped to achieve by covering us. We had already been soaked, and his cloak didn’t cover more than a fraction of my shoulder, but I appreciated his gesture. Men passed by with mischievous grins on their faces. Those smug smiles could not come from anything decent in their minds, and I seethed with disdain.

Jaime led us into a dark tent. He picked up a lamp and tipped it toward Laude. “Only Gonzalo, Blas, and I share this tent. You should be safe here. Let me go see if Prince Zichri is still meeting with his brothers.”

Laude took the lamp and lit it with a glowing finger.

I seized his forearm. “I want to go with you.”

He shook his head.

Another flash of lightning illuminated the space outside the tent.

Thunder boomed. Jaime glanced over his shoulder, unintentionally flinging droplets from his drenched hair. “You cannot. It’s not safe.” He passed a poignant look at Laude.

I understood that he didn’t want anything to happen to her. He wouldn’t negotiate. So, I dipped my head, letting him go. He tromped out of the tent flaps.

I whispered to Laude, “You stay here.”

“But he said for both of us to stay. It isn’t safe, miss.” Lamplight cast deep shadows over Laude’s pinched face.

“I don’t do safe anymore. Be brave, my dear friend,” I said to myself as much as I did to her.

Running out of the tent, I glimpsed Jaime’s back, turning a corner. This time, I stayed farther behind to amend my previous error in following him. This section of the encampment had more people bustling about, even in the rain. Men sang within their tents. Black and red flags flew high on poles. Jaime darted past soldiers, guarding a tent that looked the same as any other. Of course, I found it difficult to gather details in the dim light cast by lamps and distant fires. I scurried around the corner to listen through the tent walls.

A man barked, “Did he say when all would be ready?”

“A week ago, he said that entrance would be ready in five to seven days.”

Zichri. Hearing his voice awakened a longing in my heart.

“How long will we have?” Another man asked in a tight voice.

“We’re guaranteed a few weeks if we’re lucky—” Zichri got cut off by a person coughing, then continued, “But he believes we can have up to a month.”

“Why did you take so long to relay the message?” A man shouted. “You could have sent a messenger on the horse. Isn’t that why you took four others with you?”

A din of voices erupted. I exhaled slowly, but not much came out. The wind had been knocked from my lungs. The Himzos planned an attack against Giddel within the month.

The plan reminded me of my brother’s friend, who walked me back to the stairs the night of the ball. I couldn’t remember his name, but he cast wards, and many had been disappearing rather than fading.

“I didn’t,” Zichri shouted over the arguing men, “because we were nearly caught by the enemy. They … cast a spell over us, and that took time to resolve. We arrived as soon as we could.”

“Cast a spell over you?” someone asked mockingly. “You haven’t gone soft, have you?”

“Enough of the banter!” Another man interjected. “We’re ready to march. The portal could be open tonight.”

Several voices overlapped.

A commanding voice said, “In two days, we attack.”

Thunder rumbled so loud it shook the mud under my feet. We needed to leave immediately to warn my family, my kingdom. The nerve! If I could, I would have cast a verynasty spell over Zichri right then. Of course, there was nothing I could do except listen.

More clamor arose within the tent as my cloak grew heavier. A female voice spoke, but her words sounded muffled. I stepped forward, touching the rough canvas edge of the flap. Though rumors had reached my ears about this threat, it never felt real when I tasted sweet coconut treats, collected flowers, or lived my daily life.

Stray soldiers clomped through the mud and darted into tents. The attack was imminent, and Giddel had a traitor. Who could have brought down the wards or given Zichri information? I needed to go home.

I trudged back to Jaime’s tent. How could Zichri have been the kind man who saved his enemy and a conniving spy arranging an attack? He could only be one or the other.

I knew it, too—the explanation about them trading didn’t piece together. I should have pressed harder once I found out they were soldiers. Somewhere deep within, I knew it, but I wanted to believe he was all good.

Whatever I thought about him didn’t matter as much as getting back home to warn Mamá and Papá. The rain stuck to my lashes, blurring my vision, but I still managed to remember the path Jaime and I had taken from his tent. I peeked within the flaps. Blas lay on a small cot, fast asleep. Laude stopped mid-step. Had she been pacing the whole time?

Words stuck within my chest. How do I tell Laude? At least Zichri hadn’t shared that he traveled with the Princess of Giddel. Salty tears dripped on my lips. I had let my heart grow too fond of him. This was embarrassing.

I slogged deeper into Jaime’s tent. Dollops of rain splattered from a hole in the canopy.

“Just tell me the bad news.” Laude fanned her face with her hands and breathed short, choppy breaths.

“We need to go now.” I swiped my cheeks and rushed outside.

Laude didn’t protest and followed close behind me through the rain.

We walked back to the tent where Gonzalo had been tending the horses. Gonzalo was brushing a steed’s body when I tapped his shoulder.

“Which horse is Zichri’s?”

He startled, hand pressing to his chest as he caught his breath. After a pause, he shook his bald head and pointed to a tall, dark steed.

“Thank you, Gonzalo, for your kindness on our trip.” I dipped my head in respect, even after overhearing his horrid comment about Laude. I could not blame him for thinking Laude was a mere servant, especially since I had thought the same for so long.

The steed’s soulful eyes stared down at me. “What’s his name?”

“Muck.” Gonzalo entered the stall and fastened a saddle on Muck’s back. “Take good care of the beast.”

I smiled warmly at Gonzalo’s kind gesture and whispered to Muck, “Will you fly me to my people?”

Muck tipped his head in my direction.

“Laude can take Jaime’s horse.” Gonzalo grabbed another saddle. “You two ladies need to get off this land soon if you want to get home.” He placed the saddle on another dark steed with a white patch between his eyes. “Where did you leave your horses?”

“In the meadow.” I petted Muck while Gonzalo helped Laude into the saddle. How will Mamá and Papá respond when I tell them about the Himzo invasion? Their faces flashed through my mind. They’ll be so proud of me for protecting our home. Mykingdom will finally love and embrace their princess.

Then it hit me. Papá could squash any attack with his ability to control others’ bodies. How would they subdue Papá? There was more to the plan than what I heard, but we were already set to leave. Why hadn’t I listened longer?

Gonzalo walked the steeds out of the tent. “Follow the east road to the junction. Your patrol should be there.”

I climbed onto Muck and tugged on the reins. He wasted no time dashing forward.

Hooves clomped in the mud behind me. I startled. Had the Himzos caught me? But it was Laude’s slender figure in a cloak racing to catch up.

Tiny droplets splattered onto my skin as I bolted toward the road. One thought hammered through me: The Himzos threaten everyone I love .